Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Monday initiated the preliminary steps towards considering a challenge to an anti-gay law that has been strongly criticised by rights activists and Western governments as draconian.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), which was enacted by President Yoweri Museveni in May, is regarded as one of the most severe anti-gay laws globally, prescribing the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
Attorneys involved in the case gathered before the court registrar and reached a consensus to reconvene on October 12. At that time, the matter will be submitted to the court’s judges for the scheduling of a hearing date, as stated by Nicholas Opiyo, one of the lawyers representing the organisations challenging the law.
“Our prayer is that this petition is heard and disposed of as quickly as possible because there are people whose lives are in danger. There are people…whose very life depends on the outcome of this petition,” Opiyo said.
Up to this point, at least six individuals have faced charges under the law, and rights organizations reported last week that they had gathered evidence of hundreds of incidents involving torture, forced evictions, and intimidation against LGBTQ individuals this year.